Myth: Tuition tax credits do not hurt the public schools.

Virginia school divisions receive funding from the state based on average daily membership. If a student isn't present, the schools don't get the money. In 1998-99, the total state per pupil expenditure (exclusive of sales tax revenues) was $2209.

Myth: Tuition tax credits don't negatively impact the state budget.

With more than 80,000 students in private and religious schools and another 10,000 begin home schooled, the fully funded tuition tax credits could cost the state more than $100 million before the first additional child goes to a private school or is home-schooled. In light of other tax breaks and the explosive population growth in Northern Virginia, can we really afford additional tax cuts?

Myth: Tuition tax credits will help low income families in poor public schools.

Low-income families often pay little, if any, income tax, and would thus derive no benefit from tax credits. Only families with taxable income of approximately $50,000 or more would be able to receive the full tax credit of $2500.

The Virginia legislation would have poor children rely upon the charitable private-school scholarships, but this bill does not guarantee these charitable contributions will be sufficient. Corporations already can make tax deductible contributions to religious schools, and such allowances have not yet produced the necessary funding for low-income families to attend private schools.

Myth: Tuition tax credits will give parents and students choice.

Private school administrators have the only real choice concerning which children are admitted to their schools, and the qualifications for admission are not exclusively economic. In addition, few families will be able to bridge the gap between the tuition tax credit and private school tuition, which can be more than $10,000 per year in Virginia.

Myth: Fair competition will help the public schools.

Fair competition requires a level playing field. Clearly, it is unfair to compare a system offering education to all and a system excluding students who are difficult and expensive to educate. Public school choice and the new experimentation with charter schools will provide competition within the public school system

Myth: Students in voucher schools perform better than public school students.

Studies of the voucher plans in Cleveland and Milwaukee have concluded that vouchers do not improve overall student achievement. "On most tests, voucher students scored no better or only slightly better than their public-school counterparts, and in some cases voucher students' scores were substantially lower." (Roanoke Times, 5-11-99)

Myth: Tuition tax credits do not pose a church/state problem.

The founders of this country and the writers of Virginia's constitution opposed public support for private religious practice, support that would come as a result of providing tax credits to pay for religious education.